It is on sale the new Hyundai Accent from € 11,500. You can buy body with three or four doors. This model shares structure with the KIA Rio

It has a low selling price, but not a good relationship between equipment and price. Among the three-door models like the Accent cheaper (comparative table), only the Fiat Stilo 1.4 Feel has a lower starting price. A Fiat Grande Punto Emotion 95 bhp costs more, but has a better relationship between price and equipment (comparative tab). A Kia Rio 1.4 five-door is about the same standard equipment than the Accent (comparative tab) and it would be € 1,100 cheaper.

The least expensive diesel version is priced at € 12,800. Among such models (comparative table), there is no economic model. Fiat Grande Punto Dynamic a 90 PS has a better relationship between price and equipment, but is less potent. The only similar model of power that has a lower price is the Kia Rio 1.5 CRDi hatchback, with a similar equipment, is 600 € cheaper (comparative tab).

The four-door Accent is a car bigger in every dimension than the model it replaces: it measures 20 mm in length, 15 mm wide and is 75 mm higher. Its total length is 4.28 m. The wheelbase has grown by 60 mm, up to 2,500 mm in total. The trunk also increased, reaching 390 l capacity, 15 more than before.

Other cars of this size four-door body are also the KIA Rio, Chevrolet Aveo (4.31 m), the Dacia Logan (4.25 m), the Seat Cordoba (4.28 m) or the Skoda Fabia Sedan (4.22 m).

The Accent three-door measures 4.04 m in length, ie is 17 inches shorter than the previous five-door Accent. The Fiat Grande Punto (4.03 m) and the Peugeot 207 (4.03 m) have a very similar length. Hyundai has not provided the exact volume of the trunk of this version, but is not large (image).

There will be no five-door version of the new Accent. Hyundai will start selling in the middle of next year, a new five-door model based on the Kia Ceed (image) and do not want a five-door Accent absorb future sales of the new model.

There are three available engines, two petrol and diesel. The gasoline is four-cylinder 16-valve cylinder head: one is a 1.4 liter engine capacity, with variable intake that gives 97 hp, the other is 1.6 liter engine capacity and 112 hp, variable with continuous distribution . The diesel engine is the 1.5 liter CRDi 16V 110 hp using the Kia Rio Comparison of the performance and the Accent consumption.

All engines are associated with a five-speed manual gearbox. Optionally, the four-door version with a more powerful engine, you can buy a box of four-speed automatic transmission.

According to versions (different combinations of body, engine and equipment) is available in two trim levels: basic and “Full”.

All Accents are standard front airbags, side in the front seats and curtain airbags (the latter not available in previous model) and emergency tensioning front seat belts. The stability control (ESP) will be available as an option after the summer.

The only available options are air conditioning (€ 1.000) for the basic version, and metallic paint (225 €) and a Bluetooth hands-free (181 €) for all versions.

There are many elements of hardware that can not have. Some of them are horizontally adjustable steering wheel, Cruise control, leather upholstery, xenon headlights, automatic lights, automatic wipers, CD charger or browser, among others.

Besides the mechanical and structural similarities between the new Rio and Accent, there are great similarities in the design of the interior (image of Rio, image of the new Accent).

The plastics used inside the Accent does not have quality and it feels hard. However, it is very satisfactory by the good fit of the different pieces and the perceived feeling of solidity. We found no noises, ill-fitting parts or sharp edges. All controls are pleasant to operate. There are some quality details, like a double outlet on the center console, the portable ashtray or good interior lighting (although the vanity mirrors are not illuminated).

There are details of the interior of the Accent that we liked. The front seats have little lateral support, and the trunk of the four-door version is wrong over at the top (no visible wiring of the speakers).

The Accent has enough space for four adults get enough long trips with comfort, while rear passengers are not too high. Not suitable for three people traveling in the back seat (even children), the central square is very uncomfortable: the soft upholstery is very hard, especially the back (even if it takes more rear central armrest).

We could make a small road and highway travel with the Accent three-door petrol and diesel. Not a car nor particularly stable (especially at high speed) or particularly agile, but can be generally very satisfactory.

The Accent Diesel has some benefits commensurate with their power and moves with great agility. Good acceleration and recovery ability is favored by a very short exchange developments. In fact, it reaches maximum speed (180 km / h, somewhat low for 110 hp) at 4340 revolutions, above the rated maximum speed. Despite having a short development, the sound of the engine and fuel consumption are very content. It does have some vibration in the shifter and steering wheel.

The gasoline engine of 97 hp is not strong and the Accent makes a fast car. It is advisable to anticipate the maneuvers that require a lot of acceleration, such as overtaking, because the response is not immediate or overwhelming. It’s a bit noisy when driving the engine above 4,000 laps.

With respect to the previous Accent no major structural changes in the suspension, which remains the same type. The front is McPherson strut and rear torsion axle. It has a soft setting. Acceptably absorbs bumps and road irregularities (though are sometimes more than is desirable) and the body has big movements.

The steering, progressive hardening as the speed is somewhat soft at high speed. The gearshift has long runs, but it is smooth and precise action.

The windshield is steeply sloped, so that the amount of body bothers hairpin bends. Exterior mirrors are large.

Hyundai expects to sell 4,000 units of Accent in the remainder of the year. For 2007, forecasts are 9,000 units registered. Approximately 65% of sales correspond to diesel engine versions.